Bridging plug



vide an improved bridging Patented Sept. 11,1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH. D. AND EDWIN M. BEARDON, 0] 'LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA.

immenie PLUG.

Application filed August 24, 1927. Serial 1%. 215,100.

This invention relates to improvements in ridging plugs for plugging up a casing in a well.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved bridging plug which can be seated so as to seal off the casing or to plug it up at anylocation within the well either intermediate the ends of the casing or at the ver bottom.

Anot er object of the invention is to proplug. which, when seated within the casing, will be held against upward movement or downward movement for purposes hereinafter to be set forth.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bridging plug which is formed of a readily destructible material so that after I the plug has been seated, it will be relatively easy to remove the same for further drilling operations b a drilling tool.

Another 0 ject of the invention is to pro-,

vide a bridging plug which has passages therethrough, so that as the bridgin pug is lowered into a well, fluid in the we 1 may pass upwardly through the plug, and when the plug is seated, these passages will be closed to prevent any flow of fluid therethrough. a 1

A further object of the inventionis to provide an improved bridging plug carrymg asealing device which will en age the interior of the well casingand e ectively form a packer or'seal between the body of the plug and the'casin to prevent leakages It will be understood bridging plug is designed to form a bridge or plug across the casing which may be used for many different purposes, such as cementing operations.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the followin detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims,

reference is had to the accompanying drawthat the improved ings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein: t

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a well casing and .through the improved bridging lug shown therein'in the position 'wherein t e plug is being lowered into the well. 1 Fi ure 2 is-a view similar to Figure 1, showing the bridging plug after it has been seated. v

Figure -3 is a view in side elevationof the mproved bridging plug. l

Figure 4 is a plan view taken in the direction of the arrow 4 upon Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken upon the line 5- -5 upon Figure 3.

V Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken upon the line 6-6 upon Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a partial view in vertical section, taken upon the line 7-7 upon Figure 4 to illustrate a detail of construction.

4 Referring to the accompanying-drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similarparts throughout, the. im-

1 proved bridging plug consists of a plurality I a cylinder. The number of segments i strated upon the drawing is four, such number being taken to faci itate the illustration of the device, but it will be readily understood that the improved bridging plug can use any desired number of segments which will co-operate to form a complete cylinder of a diameter of segments 10 forming slightly smaller than the interior diameterof the casing G within which the plug is to be used. These segments 10 are held together at their upper ends by means of a circular disc of flexible material 11 which may be rubber or leather. Elongated slots 12 are formed in the disc 11, and screws 13 having relatively large'heads, extend through the slots 12 forming a pin and slotconnection between the upper ends of the segments 10 and the discll so that the segments can separate to expand the cylinder. The interior surfaces of the segments 10 are so formed that they will co-o erate to form a conical bore through the p ug, complementary to a tapered mandrel 14. The segments 10 and the mandrel 14 are preferably formed of wood so that the plu can easily be drilled out of the casing by a rilling tool for further drilling operations. A draw bar 15 has'its threaded lower end screwed into the upper end of the mandrel 14 so that by pulling upwardly on the draw bar 15 so as to raise the mandrel 14 within the segments 10, the segments will be moved into expanded position and caused to engage the interior surface of the casing C. On the exterior of each of the segments 10 and adjacent their respective upper ends, there is formed a groove 16 which is dovetailed in cross section as clearly shown upon Figure 5, and

which has its back or bottom upwardly and ltt . tained in the grooves by the disc 11. These ered, thesljdable slips 17 tend slips have upwardly directed teeth 18, which, when they engage the casing C, will prevent upward movement of the plug within thecasing. Each of the segments 10 has a stationary slip 19 secured to its lower end, these slips being provided with downwardly directed teeth 20 which, when they'engage the casing, will prevent downward movement of the plug. Horizontal grooves 21 are formed upon the exterior surfaces of the segments 10, and these receive rubber packing rings 22. On the interior surface of each of the segments 10 there is formed a groove 23, The grooves 23 extend upwardly from the bottom of each segment to a point some distance below the top of each segment. They are so arranged that when "the mandrel 14 is .in its bottom position as shown in Figure 1, the grooves terminate above the top of the mandrel, but when the mandrel is in its uppermost position as shown in Figure 2, the grooves 23 terminate below the top of the mandrel so that they are eifectively closed by .the mandrel when in this position. The draw bar 15 extends upwardly through an aperture 24 formed in the disc 11 and has an eye 25 formed on its upper end pro viding for the attachment of the sand line 8.. The draw bar has a ring 26 secured thereto by means of radial arms 27, thus forming a spider adapted to rest on top of the11 disc 11 when the plug is lowered into the we The operation of the improved bridging plug is as follows: If it is-desired to plug off the casin at a predetermined level such as 2500 ft. rom the, surface, the plug is caused to assume the position shown in Figure 1 and attached to the sand line S. it is lowered into the fluid filling the casing, the segments 10 being formed of wood, tend to float. They are caused to sink withintthe fluid by the ring 26 hearing evenly upon their upper ends. As the plug is being lowto slide downwardly and outwardly within their respective grooves and engage the interior of the casing. When the desired level has'been' reached, an upward pull is imparted to the sand line S. The slidable slips 17 wedge between the backs of their respective grooves and the casing, and prevent the upward movement of the segments 10. The pull on the draw bar 15 raises the mandrel 14 causing it to expand the segments and to seal off the grooves 23.. It will be understood that these grooves, when the plug was being lowered into the well, permit the circulation fluid tov flow up through the plug and througheth'e space between the arms 27. When the plug is expanded as a result of the separation of the segments by the mandrel 14, the stationary slips 20 are also caused to engage the casing and prevent downward movement of the plug. The rubber rings- .22 also engage the casing and are compressed, thus formin a packer or seal to prevent the leakage 0% fluid between the ex terior surface of the segments 10 and the casing. The improved bridging plug preferably employs both upwardly directed slips and slips having downwardly directed teeth. The teeth 18 prevent the plug from being forced upwardly in the event that the well shouldv start to heave. The downwardly directed teeth 20 prevent the plug from being forced downwardly b any pressure within the casing on top of t e plug. As the mandrel 14 is formed of wood, the sand line S can be pulled upwardly with a suflicient force to draw the draw bar 15 out of the mandrel. It is drawn loose by merely stripping oil? the threads formed in the mandrel by screwing the lower end of the draw bar 15 into it. This leaves the bridging nection with plugging up. the casing at some distance above its bottom. If it is desired to plug up the casin at. the very bottom oi the well, the draw ar 15 is left detached from'the mandrel. The mandrel is held in its lowered position by merely driving a nail through .one of the segments and into the mandrel. The plug is then placed in the casing and is forced downwardly by any. heavy article suchas a bailer attached to the sand line, S. The mandrel 14, having its lowerend projecting below the segments 10,

encounters the bottom of the well. By striking the top of the segments 10 with the bailer, the segments will be caused to slide downwardly upon "the mandrel and to be expanded thereby into engagement with the casing, shearing 011' or; bending the nall;

which temporarily held the mandrel in the position shown invFigure 1, relatively to the segments. n v

From the abotje described construction, it will be appreciated that a novel bridging plug is provided which can be easily, quick- J ly and cheaply constructed, and which will effectively seal oil or plug up a well casing. Furthermore, it is an easy matter to drill out the improved plug to carry on further drilling operations/The plug is held sta tionary in the casing. against movement in either upward or downward-directions, and

carries a sealing means which will prevent leakage either between the segments 10 and the casing O, or between the sides of adj acent segments which are separated slightly when the segments are expanded.

It will be understood that various changes "in the details of construction may be made 1.A bridgin plug comprising without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. I

We claim:

means forming a plura ity of segments 0 .der, a mandrel capable of being moved upwardly within the segments to separate them, means attached to the mandrel for lowering the device within a well casing,

said means beingdetachable after the se g ments have beenrexpanded, so as to be capable of being removed from the well casing, leaving the plug therein, and slips carried by said segments engageable upon the casing, some of the slips being designed to prevent upward movement of the plug withinthe casing, and others being designed to prevent downward movement of the plug within the casing.

2. A bridging plug comprising a lurality of segments of acylinder, means or sepa rating said segments into engagement with a well casing, and elastic means surrounding saidsegments adapted to be. caused to engageathe casing when the segments are separated to form a ti ht seal therewith, said segments having slips thereon, said slips being designed to engage the well casing so as to prevent upward and downward movement of the plug relatively thereto.

3. A bridgim plug comprising a plurality of segments 0? a cylinder, means for expanding said plug into engagement with a well casing, and elastic means surrounding said segments adapted to becaused to engage the casing when the plug is expanded to form a tight seal therewith, said segments having grooves therein, slips slidable in the grooves and adapted to engage the interior of the well casing to prevent upward movement of the plug therein, and stationary slips carried by said segments engageable upon the interior ofthe well casin adapted to prevent downward movement 0 the plug therein.

4; A bridging plug comprising a plurality of segments of a cylinder, there being passages formed upon the segments permitting fluid to flow therethrough when the plug v is lowered within a well easing, means for separating said segments to expand the plug into engagement with the well casing, said means serving to 010%; said passages when the plug is expanded.

, 5. A bridging plug comprising a plurality cylinward movement of the ofsegments of a cylinder, a tapered mandrel adapted to be caused to slide upwardly within the segments to separate them, there bein ooves formed upon the segments slips sli a le in the grooves and engageable upon the interior of a well casing to prevent upward and downward movement of, the plug therein, and stationary slips carried bysaid segments engageable upon the well casing to prevent the downward movement of the 'plug therein, there being passages formed upon the segments adapted to allow fluid to flow therethrough when the plug is being lowered, said passages being so arranged as to be closed by themandrel when the drill is moved into its uppermost position to expand the segments.

6. A bridging plug comprising a plurality,

of segments of a cylinder, a tapered mandrel adapted to be caused to slide upwardly within-the segments to expand them, there being grooves formed upon the segments, slipsslidable in the grooves and engageable upon the interior of a well casing to prevent upward movement of the plug therein, and elastip bands surrounding said segments adapted to be caused to engage the well ca'sing to form a tight seal therewith.

7. A bridging plug comprising a plurality of segments of a cylinder, a tapered mandrel adapted to be caused to slide upwardly within the segments to separate them, there being grooves formed upon the segments, slips slidable in the grooves and engageable upon the interiorof a well casing to revent upmember to jom the segments together but to permit them to be separated, and a draw bar extendin through the flexible member and threade into the mandrel so as to be" capable of being pulled out of the mandrel,

said draw bar carrying an apertured flan enga eable upon the top of the flexibl: mem er.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification. I Q

M. REARDON. A R. D., FISHER.

plug tlierein, and

iii 

